Go Swatch Yourself
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Another S3/4 throwback: Eric starts to redecorate Sookie's house, Pam is not pleased.


**A/N: Razzie11 requested a story set between S3 & 4 when Eric's fixing up Sookie's house. It didn't turn out exactly the way you were thinking (or the way I was for that matter) but I hope you enjoy it anyway :) Some of the dialogue towards the end is from _Jane Eyre_. This is also similar to the direction I took in "Always On My Mind." **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_**Go Swatch Yourself**_

Pam stopped short as she entered the lounge room to find a frustrated Eric sitting on the floor surrounded by colour swatches and home renovation magazines.

"What is the difference between ivory, off-white and candlewax?" Eric demanded irritably, holding up the swatches in question with a scowl.

Pam raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?" she asked, ignoring his question and feigning disinterest as she stooped to pick up one of the magazines.

"Redecorating," he replied shortly, shooting a guilty look in her direction that she was too distracted to notice.

Pam nodded absently, engrossed in the magazine as she contemplated all the potential ways she could redecorate…whatever it was they were redecorating.

She shook herself out of her reverie as she remembered his question, "Truthfully, there's not much difference," she told him, glancing up from her magazine, "but I think candlewax has a richer and warmer tone."

Eric contemplated the swatches in front of him doubtfully, "I'll take your word on it," he said finally, setting the candlewax swatch aside.

"What are we redecorating anyway?" Pam asked, feigning nonchalance as she turned back to the magazine.

Eric hesitated, "I bought Sookie's house," he said quietly, bracing himself for her reaction.

Pam froze.

"What?" she asked after a moment without looking up from the magazine.

"I bought Sookie's house," he repeated.

"And you're now redecorating it?" she continued with forced calm.

Eric nodded slowly and Pam dropped the magazine as if it burned.

"Why?" she hissed.

"It's complicated."

Pam rolled her eyes, "I bet," she said sarcastically.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she walked away.

"Out," she spat over her shoulder.

"Aren't you going to help me?" he asked, standing up, "I thought you liked swatches," he added with a placating smile as she paused in the doorway.

Pam shot him a dark look over her shoulder, "Go swatch yourself," she snapped and disappeared into the hallway.

The slamming of the front door reverberated around the house and, for the first time, Eric wondered if he had gone too far in his competition with Bill.

He wanted Sookie to be his, but not at the expense of his relationship with Pam.

He wasn't surprised when she didn't return that night, but after a couple of days Eric started to become concerned. Especially when she skipped her shift at Fangtasia.

Eric had learnt the hard way that when Pam was angry it was never a good idea to summon her, so he went to find her. She had blocked their bond almost the moment she left the house which meant it took him a little longer than he had anticipated to find her.

And he certainly wasn't expecting to find her at Sookie's.

Apparently she had decided to help him after all and had collected all the paraphernalia relating to the maenad and set it on fire.

In Sookie's living room.

"Are you completely _insane_?" he demanded as he searched for something to put out the small bonfire. "You could burn the whole house down!" he yelled as he started to put out the flames.

Pam shrugged a shoulder as she continued to sit regally in an armchair, watching the blaze.

Eric jumped back as something within the fire exploded, he sniffed the air and peered closer into the flames.

"Petrol bombs? You put _petrol bombs_ in the fire?" he bellowed, "Do you have a death wish?" he growled as he finally succeeded in smothering the flames.

He took a moment to assess the damage and to collect himself before he turned to face her. That was when he noticed that her face was stained red with her tears and all of his anger left him.

"Pam?" he asked in a gentle tone.

Pam looked up at him with narrowed eyes, still angry despite her tears, "I saw the plans," she huffed, "you're building a cubbyhole here too." Absently she wiped her face with the back of her hand as she tucked her knees under her chin, "I figured you're already halfway to replacing me, why not just let you make a clean break?"

"Yes because losing you would not affect me at all," Eric agreed sarcastically.

Pam glared at him, "Do not mock me," she warned.

"I can mock you all I like when you're being stupid," he informed her gruffly as he slung her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she insisted, beating fruitlessly on his back as he carried her out of the house.

He dropped her unceremoniously onto one of Sookie's deck chairs and loomed over her, "Listen very carefully," he ordered in a low, dangerous tone, "your life is not yours to give away: it's mine and I forbid it. Losing you would destroy me, Pamela," he paused. "There are times when I will do things you don't understand or when I may hurt you," he looked at her meaningfully, "but you mean more to me than _anything_ and certainly more than Sookie."

"Then why did you leave me?" she asked in a small voice, "When I needed you, why weren't you there?"

Eric opened and closed his mouth a few times as he attempted to answer her, eventually he sighed. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I have no excuse for what I did beyond not realising how deeply you were affected by recent events. I should have been there and I apologise."

"I don't want your apologies," Pam huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly, "I just want my Maker back."

In spite of himself, Eric chuckled, "Are you worried Sookie knocked you out of orbit as the centre of my universe?" he teased.

Pam stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed, "That will never happen, _min __bortskämda __lilla prinsessa_," he told her as his laughter subsided.

"_Jag __tänker inte __kalla dig __min __prins_," she warned him, fighting back a smile.

"_Jag ska __nöja __herre och mästare_," he replied easily, helping her to her feet.

Pam rolled her eyes, "Of course you will."

Eric shot her a grin, "Ah, but I only have one mistress," he assured her.

Pam raised an eyebrow and Eric's grin widened as he scooped her up, bridal style. "Let me take you home, milady, and I'll prove it to you," he said with a devilish grin.

Pam's sideways look was all the permission he needed to set off at vampire speed for their house, where he spent the rest of the evening proving just how much she meant to him.

It would be at least a week before he thought of Sookie again and he decided to let Alcide handle all the arrangements for fixing her house, he was much more pleasantly occupied.

…

Translations (according to Google anyway):

_min __bortskämda __lilla prinsessa_ = my spoiled little princess

_Jag __tänker inte __kalla dig __min __prins =_ I hope you don't expect me to call you my prince

_Jag ska __nöja __herre och mästare_ = I'll settle for lord and master


End file.
